HIV Positive to Can't find virus: Still infectious?

Apr 7, 2009

A former partner who learned she was HIV positive 20 years ago now says her virus can't be found. She now has unprotected sex,according some of her partners with whom I am acquainted. My question is this: Can she still pass HIV to another person through unprotected sex?

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hi,

Whether she can potentially transmit the virus to others depends on what she means by "her virus can't be found." There are two potential scenarios:

1. It's possible (although not probably) that her initial HIV test 20 years ago was a false-positive. In this case she never really was truly HIV positive. Therefore her HIV tests now are negative and the virus won't be found. She would not be infectious. However, if she's having unprotected sex, she's placing herself at risk for STDs, including HIV, with each unprotected roll in the proverbial hay.

2. She may be on antiretroviral drugs, which have driven her HIV plasma viral load to undetectable levels. This might be interpreted as "the virus can't be found." That however would be an incorrect interpretation, because in this case she is still very much HIV infected and could transmit the virus to others. The "non-detectable" report means her level of virus is below the "detectable" limits of the testing assay being used but it certainly does not mean she's not infected with the virus.

Either way, she's a fool for having unprotected sex, in my humble opinion.

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.